Trick or treats for the birds

Right on time for Halloween, there’s lots of euonymous fruits hanging on the shrub like fat little pumpkins. If the birds enjoy them, the cat has promised not to pull any tricks. Like the birds should believe a cat. Is that why they’re going uneaten?

Re: Moon Viewing at Shijo Bridge

I’ve managed to avoid reading anything close to horror lately, but there are a few ghosts and monsters floating through a nice long reading at Podcastle of “Moon Viewing at Shijo Bridge,” by Richard Parks. Lord Yamada is drawn back into Heian imperial court at the request of an old friend, Princess Teiko. Even before […]

Cat reveals amazing rain repellent powers

Turns out the cat didn’t get so wet after all.

I love the smell of a wet cat in the evening

It’s wet.

Mayflies and Eggs

All these little bugs having one last fling before winter are reminding me of a trio of stories I heard on Drabblecast a while ago, or as they like to call it, a Trifecta.

More birds, fewer bugs

I wonder if I’m paying more attention to the birds because it’s time to resign myself to not seeing any Monarch butterflies this year. I saw plenty of other big orange and yellow butterflies, but not one monarch, not even in passing. What happened to them?

A Grasshopper in autumn

Now we’re getting proper fall weather: cool, sunny, blue skies. The bees are buzzing. The birds are crowding the feeders. All’s right in the world.

Bowl of guppies

Remember the guppies that were outside swimming under a water lily? Probably not. Well, if you know anything about guppies, you might be relieved to hear that I brought them inside about a month ago, when the nights began to cool.

123, yet another bee

Yet another little black bee turned up in the asters. I have the name of the species, Lasioglossum coriaceum. but that’s it.

A plea for a pitiful pea

I just have no luck growing peas. All my pretty little pea shoots — a few here, a few there — have dwindled down to one plant. Peas like cool weather, but I’m not holding out a lot of hope for this one. Still, it’s pretty.